Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-05-09
Bread and Butter and
Honey.

alone IN the house, they had no 1dea
that there could be any danger for
her. Alice was their little only
daughter, and, rather than not leave
her in perfect safety, they would have
stayed away from Bolton forever.
To be sure the house was a good
half-mile away from any other house,
and was a very nice one of its kind.
1t was large and well-kept, with
broad piazza all around it, and two
bay windows, and had a general air
of prosperity. Any one seeing the
house here on this country road, where
nice houses were not plentiful, would
have thought that well-to-do people
lived in it, and it was probably well
furnished with nice things. Howev
er, no one so far had thought so, to
the detriment of either house of peo-
pie. Tramps and burglars were sell
dom heard of in this peaceful part of
the country, and the Armstrong; had
lived there twenty-five years and nev-
er once been molested. So they new
er thought of such a thing to-day.
They did not even tell Alice to lock
the doors. Once, years before, a
straggler had come along, and Mrs.
| Armstrong had given him something
to eat; but he was quite inoffensive,
and that was so long ago she had
nearly forgotten it. Snch thing as
a straggler never entered her mind
now; the chief topic of discussion,
when they came to start, was Alice's
luncheon.
1t might have been bad plan, but
the little girl had always plain bread
and butter lunch between meals. To-
day, however, she had an idea that
she merited something little extra
to pay her for her lonely afternoon,
and disappointment. Alice herself
wanted very much to 60 to Bolton
with her father and mother, but she
had cold, and it was thought not
prudent.
"Mother,' said she, when her
mother was putting on her bonnet,
''what can l have for lunch?'
"Why, what you always have"
said Mrs. Armstrong. "You can
spread yourself slice of bread and
butter
''There was a little of-that honey
left" murmured Alice, blushing.
Her mother laughed.
II never saw such a child as you
are for honeyp' said she. "You
ought to turn into a bee yourself.
Yes; / don't care. All is, if you
have it this afternoon, you won't have
it for tea.
"Fd rather have it this afternoon"
said Alice jovfully."
She stood at the window and
watched her parents drive out of
sight down the road. She was a
slender little girl, with a pretty, seri-
Gus face, and smooth brown hair.
When she finally left the window, land
looked about the vacant room, it
seemed to her that the clock ticked
oh lon1 che h06
heard it. However, she was not in
the least afraid, only, of course, a
trife lonesome. She got out her
Sunday school book, and sat down
in her little rocking-chair and read
awhile; then she got her box of wa
ter-colors and painted. She had made
up her mind that she would not eat
her lunch until three o'clock, when
her father and mother would have
been gone about two hours. 1t was
a quarter of three when she got tired
of her paints. She put them away
and washed her hands, and sat at the
window to wait until the clock struck.
She began to feel quite hungry, and
thought pleasantly of the honey.
She had only about three minutes
to wait, when she saw a man coming
down the road.
ssWhv, | wonder who that is .''
said she.
She watched him interestedly as
long as she could see him; then
there was a shuffiing step in the drive,
and a shadow stretched past the win
dow: the man had come into the
yard.
He gave a quick glance at Alice in
the window, then he stepped up on
the piazza and knocked at the side
door. Alice went promptly. When
she opened the door, there stood the
man, shabby and ragged, with a stub
by white beard. 1t was no one she
had ever seen before.
IIdN6 you SOt al oAe SOtt .fOA
could let me have"' said he. He
looked past her into the house as he
spoke.
81 don't know" said Alice. "I'm
all alone here this afternoon. Faith
er and mother are gone away. May
be if you come again, when they're
home, they'd give you one. I'm real
sorry"
She was really sorry. She thought
to herself that the poor old man need |
ed a coat dreadfully; the sleeves of |
his hung in shreds, and there was a
real fringe of rags around the bot
tom.
'.Can't you give me something to |
eat?' said the man.